


wrapping

by CrazyPrepared (writerofberk)



Series: have yourself a merry little christmas [8]
Category: Trolls (Movies 2016 2020)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28197639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerofberk/pseuds/CrazyPrepared
Summary: "Opening a gift should not be harder than breaking into Bergentown," Poppy says. "Tell me you know that, Branch. Please tell me you know that."
Series: have yourself a merry little christmas [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053290
Comments: 22
Kudos: 23





	wrapping

"Okay, just hang on a minute," Branch picks up the roll of tape off Poppy's fuzzy pink carpet and tears off a thin strip, "and let me get this last—"

"No!" Poppy swipes the present, all wrapped up in shiny green gift paper, off the floor, and holds it out at arms' length. "No way, Branch! Stop taping everything within an inch of its life!"

Branch grabs for the present, but he can already tell he's not getting it back. "Come on, Poppy, we don't want the paper to just fall off!"

"Well, we also want the kids to get into their presents on Christmas morning!" Poppy leans a little farther away and kicks him lightly in the shin to push him back. "You know that's who we're wrapping for, right? _Kids_? Not codebreakers?"

"Call it a hunch, but I _think_ they'll be okay."

"Opening a gift should _not_ be harder than breaking into Bergentown! Tell me you know that! _Please_ tell me you know that!"

"Yeah, because tearing off some paper is on the same level as sneaking into a high-security castle where everybody within the walls wants to brutally slaughter you," Branch shoots back, and he gets up on his knees now to snatch at the box again. "Just let me tape it! That piece is still sticking out!"

"If you tape it one more time, no one will _ever_ get it open!"

"It'll be fine!"

"Hard disagree, Branch," Guy pipes up from the other side of the room, winding his own present with long red ribbons. "Not everything has to be as impenetrable as your bunker."

"It's a shame no one asked your opinion."

"And it's a shame some little kid is going to be very sad on Christmas morning when he can't get his gift open."

"There's this fancy thing called a _knife_ , Guy."

"Oh, my god," Smidge says. "What kind of _monster_ opens their Christmas presents with a _knife_?"

"It's—it's _neater_ that way!" Branch says, but he knows he's lost because everybody turns to stare at him with wide eyes and open mouths. "You don't scatter little bits and pieces of paper everywhere! You just make one small incision, and—"

"It's a present," Guy says. "Not a _surgery_."

Branch tosses a balled-up bunch of gift paper at Guy to shut him up. "It's more practical that way! It just makes the most logical sense to—!"

Poppy drops the present on the floor and grabs his hands up in hers. "Branch, _who hurt you_?"

“Okay, why are you guys being so ridiculous about this?"

" _You're_ the one being ridiculous!" Poppy says. "Who opens their presents with _a_ _knife_?! Who _does_ that?!"

"Okay, okay," Guy gets to his feet and pushes Poppy out of the way to plop down in front of Branch, "just, please, Branch, for the love of hair, _don't_ open your presents with a knife this year. _Please_ don't open your presents with a knife this year."

"Also," Poppy says, "please don't show up bearing arms."

"It's literally just _one_ _knife_!"

"So it's a _singular_ arm," Guy nods. "Well, don't show up bearing a _singular_ arm, either. It's not a good look, Branch."

"Not very festive," Satin adds.

Chenille nods. " _Or_ very chic."

"You know what's 'chic'? Not being completely defenseless. That's pretty chic."

"Okay, no," Poppy holds up a hand, "no, you are _not_ coming here on Christmas Eve with _a knife_ and you're definitely not opening presents with one."

"Well, what about scissors?"

" _Branch_ —!"

**Author's Note:**

> okay, so, yes, i KNOW this is a day late, i'm well aware of that, and i'm sorry that i didn't post this when i should have, but i had my nephew with me pretty much all day yesterday (i went out with him to show him the Christmas lights!!! and get him a hot chocolate from Starbucks. aren't i the best aunt) and, at the end of the night, i was just too tired to sit down and do the edits i knew this piece needed. so now the final piece will (probably) go up on Christmas Eve, instead of Dec 23, like I planned. but i also might just go ahead and post double on Dec 23, so i won't have to log on here on Christmas Eve. that's designated cooking and baking and watching Christmas movies time!!! 
> 
> (also you know how i said i usually share Branch's opinion on things??? opening presents with a knife/scissors is the way to go. no mess. no hassle. it's beautiful. of course Branch hasn't received many presents in the last twenty years, so he hasn't gotten to do The Knife Thing™ very much, but i like to think Poppy used to leave a little gift or two by his door on Christmas 🥺


End file.
